MATAMOROS, Tamaulipas — Fearing stiffer
immigration enforcement in the coming months, approximately half of the Mexican
nationals who had traveled through this city on their way to their hometowns
claim they will not be returning to the United States, city officials said.
In recent weeks, the Matamoros city government has been preparing
logistical and security measures to accommodate not only the returning
travelers, but also for a possible increase in deportations, said Matamoros
Mayor Jesus “Chuchin” De La Garza.
According to De La Garza, at least 50 percent of the Paisanos who
have crossed through the three international bridges in Matamoros have reported
to authorities that they will not be returning to the U.S. and plan on seeking
jobs in Mexico.
Known in Mexico as Paisanos, every year, groups of legal and
illegal immigrants travel through this and other border cities during the
holidays on their way to their hometowns. The name Paisano comes from a
government program aimed at easing the customs and tax process that the Mexicans
face when they travel home. In years past, customs officers, local police and
other officials were known for demanding bribes and extorting the travelers.
In preparation for the expected increase in the number of
returning locals and deportees, De La Garza has been meeting with Mexico’s
Regional Security Team and U.S. law enforcement.
“We still do not know the impact that the arrival of the new U.S.
administration will have in regards to the number of deportations, but we do
have to be prepared in order to handle such events in an orderly fashion,” De
La Garza said to Breitbart Texas.
For years, the deportation of Mexican immigrants has caused
problems due to the lack of job opportunities in border cities, leading many to
join the ranks of the various drug cartels that operate throughout Mexico.
According to Mexican authorities, many of the deported immigrants often come
from U.S. prisons and jails who are sent back after completing a sentence for
crimes in that country. The backgrounds of the deported migrants makes them an
attractive recruitment option for Mexican cartels.
Editor’s Note: Breitbart Texas traveled to the Mexican States of
Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Nuevo León to recruit citizen journalists willing to
risk their lives and expose the cartels silencing their communities. The
writers would face certain death at the hands of the various cartels that
operate in those areas including the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas if a pseudonym
were not used. Breitbart Texas’
Cartel Chronicles are published in both
English and in their original Spanish.
This article was written by “J.A. Espinoza” from Matamoros, Tamaulipas.
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